An MoD spokesperson said
the UK’s assistance to Saudi Arabia includes providing
“precision guided weapons,” but added the British
government had been assured they will be used in compliance with
international law.

Anti-arms trade campaigners condemned Britain’s support for the
Gulf monarchy, claiming the UK cares more about arms sales than
human rights and democracy.

RT contacted the MoD to ask if British weapons are being used in
Saudi airstrikes on Yemen and if the UK is providing assistance
to the Saudi-led coalition.

An MoD spokesperson replied: “The UK is not participating
directly in Saudi military operations. We are providing support
to the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and as part of pre-existing
arrangements are providing precision guided weapons to assist the
Saudi Air Force.

“The use of these weapons is a matter for the Saudis but we
are assured that they will be used in compliance with
international law.”

The MoD’s response confirms suspicions held by anti-arms trade
campaigners that Britain is providing support for a war that top
Yemeni academics based in the West have branded
“illegal.”

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) said:
“The Saudi bombing has created a humanitarian catastrophe and
now we know the UK weapons have contributed to it.”

“These weapons have not just given military support to the
bombardment, they have also provided a strong political support
and underlined the closeness between the UK and Saudi
governments.”

“With the destruction of Yemen and the intensifying crackdown
on dissent in Saudi Arabia, the UK government is sending the
message that human rights and democracy are less important than
arms sales,” he added.

CAAT said the “precision guided weapons” used by the
Saudi Air Force are likely to be Eurofighter Typhoons or Tornado
jets.

Saudi Arabia has spent an estimated £2.5 billion upgrading its
fleet of 73 Tornados as part of a deal negotiated with UK-based
arms manufacturers BAE Systems.

Saudi Arabia and the UK have long had close dealings in the arms
trade. Saudi Arabia is Britain’s largest customer for weapons and
the UK is the Gulf nation’s single biggest supplier, according to
CAAT.

An Amnesty International report found that British fighter jets
were “extremely likely” to have been used in the 2009
Saudi bombing of Yemen.

At the time Amnesty called on the UK government to ensure British
weapons “did not facilitate violations of international
humanitarian law, including possible war crimes, by the Saudi
Arabian air force.”

The confirmation of Britain’s indirect support for the Gulf
kingdom’s war against Shia Houthi rebels comes as the reported
total casualties pass the 10,000 mark.

According to UN estimates, 2,288 people have died as a result of
Saudi Arabian airstrikes, half of whom are civilians. Another
9,755 are reported to have been wounded.

UNICEF stated in late May that 135 children had been killed and
260 wounded since the start of the conflict in March.

Yemen’s humanitarian crisis is also becoming increasingly grim,
with the World Health Organization warning that 8.6 million
people are in need of “urgent” medical aid.